The New Year
by jnjluvsbooks32
Summary: This is an short epilogue about what happens to melinda over the summer from her point of veiw. my first fanfic and my project for school


Jenelle Jones

Epilogue

My garden has grown. Our old tree has even started sprouting new branches. In another week I'll be starting school again. This time last year, I was alone and hated. Everything has changed now. Heather and I aren't friends anymore, if you want to say we were friends at all. The Martha thing didn't work out to well after the prom incident. With everyone hating her for the bad prom decorations she is basically alone. Maybe I'll be nice to her when school starts again, like last year. It can't hurt to be nice, even after what she did to me.

I got some of my old friends back like Ivy and even Rachel. Nicole speaks to me when she sees me and has even been helping me improve my tennis so maybe eventually I can beat her. Rachel decided to take back her old self and leave Rachelle behind. I think her other persona reminded her of Andy too much and she wanted to leave him and all thoughts about him behind. She got back from France about two weeks ago. We are trying to build a new friendship and get back to the way things used to be, though we know things will never be the same. Our first year of high school had changed us so much, and yet we were still the same. I decided to redo my room and I started by getting Ivy to help me paint a mural of a tree on my wall. I've also put some of my artwork from the school year up on my wall along with some pieces I worked on over the summer. It's a working progress, but when it's done I know it's going to be great.

I also talked to David Petrakis over the summer. We even went out to lunch once. He has been helping me with my summer projects that are due when school starts. He really is a good person, and one day he'll probably be like a rocket scientist or something. He was one of the only people who even talked to me when I was the "squealer", and he always makes me try and do my best.

My home life has also improved drastically. I finally told my mom about what happened to me last August. She finally understands why I acted the way I did last year. We have a more open relationship now. She doesn't work as much now, so we get to spend more time together. She even let me pick out my new clothes for school. My dad has been helping me with my garden, and he has been keeping up the lawn and trees. My parents argue a lot less now and they try to listen to what the other has to say. We even eat dinner together now, I'm not saying that we are perfect, but all in all, I say we get along better now than we did before the rape.

My parents decided to press charges against Andy after I told them. At the trial I had to testify about what happened to me. It was hard to speak in front of all those people after being silent for so long. I had thought that since I was drunk and naïve that it was all my fault, but I think to the jury that made Andy even more guilty. I thought it would be hard for me to be up on the stand and at first I refused. Then out of nowhere I had this hidden strength inside of me, just like when he tried to attack me in my closet. I wanted to speak. Andy was charged with second degree rape and sexual assault and sentence to seven years in prison.

It is a little bit easier to talk about now. I can't hide from it anymore. We go talk to a therapist as a family once a week, and then I have my own session with her. Her name is Marty. I've talked to her about what happened to me and other things. She has been teaching me how to speak up for myself and to take control of my life. She says I shouldn't keep my feelings bottle in. She also gave me a diary so when I don't feel like talking I can write my feelings down or even draw them. I like Marty, she listens to me and understands me when I talk and even when I don't.

I plan on having better grades than I had last year. Especially since we finally get a break from American history and get to take geography. I don't think that I will be skipping any classes this year. I mean the only reason I skipped last year was to get away from what happened to me. I don't want to runaway anymore. I'm excited about the new year I want to start anew and make this year better. I might actually learn something new.

I definitely have been working on my artwork over the summer. I spent a lot of time this summer working on art projects and getting ideas for art next year. It's great trying other things besides trees. I can't wait to get back to school and take art again. My parents think it's great that I draw now. I never really had a talent before and it's is nice to be good at something and like doing it. Mr. Freeman really opened my eyes to the world, and taught me how to speak up. My art really helps me to say what I feel and not keep everything bottled up and silent. Art helps me see who I am inside, even if sometime that person is a Plain Jane, or the silent freak who called the cops at the party, or the Melinda now that is starting to bud.

I think this year is going to be different, in fact I know it's going to be different. Everyone knows what happened with Andy at the party, now I can start to move on with my life. After I finally gained the courage to speak up about what happened to me everything changed. Now my tree can finally grow.


End file.
